Device and kit for cleaning lenses of telescopes, cameras and the like

Abstract

 A device and kit for cleaning generally convex surfaces of lenses of field articles such as hunting scopes, telescopes, cameras and the like.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to light­weight, readily portable devices which can be easily carried into the field to clean the lenses of telescopes, hunting scopes, binoculars, cameras and the like. Such articles generally have outer protective lenses which are convex in shape and frequently are recessed deeply within cylindrical protective housings, thereby making access to, and cleaning of, such lenses difficult.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] No device adapted to clean the entirety of the outer surface of convex lenses recessed within a protec­tive housing is known to applicant. Brushes, of a widely varied assortment of shapes and sizes, have of course been known for some time. However, the usefulness of even an optimally-shaped brush is limited to those instances in which the source of the visual interference is a particle, and a lightly-adhering particle, at that. While a brush can often remove a light particle from such an environment, all too often it merely succeeds in transferring the offending particle from one portion of the lens to another, usually to or near the "deepest" portion of the lens, i.e., that portion near the junction of the housing securing the lens or the protec­tive cylinder. For heavier particles, brushes are generally ineffective, and they of course are completely ineffective for smudges and smears.

[0003] Most cameras, binoculars, and hunting scopes today commonly have protective end caps to protect the outer lenses from contact with dust particles and other con­taminants. However, such protective end caps obviously can not remain over the lenses at all times, and when they are removed the lenses are directly exposed to foreign contaminants. Also, the protective caps can be, and often are, a source of contamination themselves; when removed, the caps are themselves exposed to the environment, and frequently pick up contaminants and transfer then to the lenses they were intended to pro­tect upon being returned to their protective position.

[0004] Similarly, no lens cleaner particularly adapted to clean such lenses via the application of a cleaning solution and the subsequent application of a polishing paper is known to applicant. Rather, the sportsman is left to improvise such paraphernalia as best as he can, resulting in a procedure usually awkward at best in the comfort of the home and quite difficult, if not impossi­ble, in the field. Inasmuch as a smudge or a smear could mean the difference between success or failure of a hunt or other outdoor expedition, there is clearly a need for a means whereby all such obstructions, regard­less of their nature, may be quickly and conveniently removed in the field.

[0005] As earlier stated, no devices particularly designed to completely clean such lenses are known to applicant. U.S. Patent No. 1,355,026, to Austin, discloses a foun­tain brush embodying a hollow handle into which the bristles are retractable. Such a device, though, being intended for use as a shaving brush, is obviously intended to deposit material on surfaces, not to remove particles from surfaces. Thus such a device does not readily suggest itself for adaptations or experiments on how to accomplish the opposite of its intended purpose.

[0006] Virtually all prior art brushes are similarly de­signed to apply, rather than to remove, foreign materials. French Patent No. 890,205, to Walter-Martin, discloses a variety of brushes which appear intended for use with the application of polishes and associated materials for fingernails. None appears suitable for the problem solved by applicant's invention, nor do they suggest modifications therefor.

[0007] U.S. Patent No. 1,261,502 to Farrows discloses a fountain pen-like device for cleaning eyeglasses. The device provides a liquid container and a wick or swab associated therewith by which the liquid in said con­tainer may be caused to be in communication with the eyeglasses. The wick or swab is not itself retractable or extensible, but a surrounding sleeve may be with­drawn, after the end cap is removed, to expose the wick. The device thus provides only limited means for washing readily accessible objects such as eyeglass lenses, and leaves it up to the user to provide means for drying the lenses to complete the operation. Similar in purpose and construction is the device shown and de­scribed in U.S. Patent No. 2,227,710 to Finn. The Finn device even more closely resembles a fountain pen container; when the top is removed, there is exposed a liquid-filled barrel portion with a previous stopper therein for washing the eyeglasses. The top contains an inner container, for which no removal means are shown, but which must be removed in order to utilize the drying material contained therein. Upon removal of the inner container, a hairpin or similar implement must be utilized to provide access to the drying material. Such an arrangement depends upon gravity for supplying the cleaning fluid to the eyeglass and would not permit independent control of the amount of cleaning fluid applied, i.e., a fixed amount could not be applied independently of the amount of rubbing action applied in that the longer one rubbed, the more fluid that would be applied. Inasmuch as it is the drying action which is the most critical to the complete cleaning of lenses, the disadvantageousness of this feature is readily seen. Another disadvantageous feature is pro­vided by the cumbersome nature of the operations for field use on, for example a rifle-mounted scope.

[0008] U.S. Patent No. 2,583,228 to Numbers discloses a combined lens cover and lens brush for the lenses of cameras, telescopes, binoculars and the like. Inspection of the patent adds little to the title; it is readily seen to be simply a lens cap combined with a lens brush which may either be fixed, moveable, or removeable. Only the removeable version would seem to have any uti­lity for lenses sized differently than the one for which the cap is designed; i.e, the attached versions would not seem to be suitable for lenses larger than the subject cap, thus requiring the purchase of a number of such protective devices and also limiting the usefulness thereof.

[0009] Various and sundry other artifacts and devices have been employed generally for cleaning eyeglass lenses for contact lenses. Exemplary of the former is U.S. Patent No. 1,602,333, Burke, which discloses gen­erally cup-shaped containers containing cores over which the lens cleaning elements are removably stretched. The inapplicability of such a device to the problem at hand is of course readily apparent. Exemplary of the latter are U.S. Patent No. 3,344,461, Floor, and U.S. Patent No. 3,102,294, Miller. Floor discloses preferably concave surfaces for receiving such lenses and saturat­able pads for cleaning the same. Miller discloses a cup-shaped lens-cleaning head with a preformed body of foam rubber over which a cheesecloth cover may be placed. Neither, of course, readily lends itself to the present invention.

[0010] These and other limitations and disadvantages of the prior art, and especially of the aforementioned patents, are overcome with the present invention, and commercially acceptable embodiments of a readily portable device for cleaning hunting scopes, telescopes, cameras, binoculars and the like, in the field, are herein provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Accordingly, a feature of the present invention is to provide a readily accessible and protectable brush of a configuration which will allow its use on the greatest possible range of protected or recessed lenses for the ready removal of light particles such as dust and the like.

[0012] Another feature is to provide such a brush whose effective stiffness may be varied as may be required for the particular application. Still another feature is to provide such a brush as will remove such particles altogether rather than merely transfer the same to other, more inaccessible locations.

[0013] Still another feature is to provide in combination therewith a generally concave cleaning head which will permit the ready cleaning in the field of such inacess­ible lenses as those of rifle-mounted hunting scopes, and of lenses such as telescopes, cameras, binoculars, and the like.

[0014] Still another feature is to provide a cleaning head which will clean the entirety of the outer surface of such lenses, under field conditions.

[0015] Still another feature is to provide a cleaning head which will permit the application of a controlled amount of cleaning fluid, independent of the amount of swabbing action which may be required.

[0016] Still another feature is to provide means for dry­ing such lenses under field conditions with optically acceptable materials.

[0017] The foregoing features and other features of the invention are realized in an illustrative embodiment of such a cleaning device and kit. Briefly stated, the invention is directed to an improved device for readily cleaning under field conditions the lenses of such articles as rifle-mounted scopes, telescopes, cameras, binoculars and the like of various shapes and sizes but characterized generally by convex lenses recessed within protective housings of various lengths. In contrast to the prior art, a preferred embodiment comprises a retractable brush with adjustable bristles biased to product at least equal if not greater lens wiping action at the most recessed portions of such lenses, and constructed so as to permit the stiffness of such bristles to be varied as desired. The former is accomp­lished generally by shaping the outer tips of such bristles in a generally concave pattern, or other pattern which will permit the bristles at the outer periphery to extend at least as far, or further, than the bristles in the center of such brush. The latter is accomplished preferably by securing the bristles in a traveling head; when fully extended, such an embodi­ment provides no support or restraint for the bristles other than the head itself, thereby providing the maximum flexibility for such bristles. Upon partial retraction, the partially enclosing housing provides an unyielding support to such bristles, thereby effectively shortening the free ends of such bristles and providing a corresponding stiffening effect, particularly to the outermost or peripheral bristles. Further retraction provides still further effective shortening of the free end, and still further stiffening.

[0018] The brush portion of the cleaning device of the present invention may be rapidly expanded in effective size by securing the bristles in a resilient "pin-cushion" type of traveling head and providing means for urging against the resilient, pin-cushion head while restraining the same from further travel. By this means, the bristles may be biased into an outwardly flared position easily extending over twice the area, or even twice the diameter, of the straight or unflared position. This feature permits one device to be used with a large range of different sized lenses and permits the large lenses to be cleaned of dust particles just as quickly as may a smaller lens. Equally important, since it is the repeated stroking which tends to transfer or re-­deposit foreign articles, as would be necessary in the case of a large lens and a small brush, the opportunity for such re-depositing is minimized by this feature.

[0019] Preferably affixed to the opposite end of the cleaning device of the instant invention is a generally concave tip of resilient material. A fine cell polyester or polyurethane material is the range of fifty to seventy pores per lineal inch (50-70 ppi) has been found suitable under all conditions. Such a tip could be used as the cleaning element itself, but preferably is not since the deposition thereon of any abrasive particle, or the buildup of any abrasive material, could easily scratch the lens sought to be cleaned or, in the case of externally coated lenses, damage one or more of such coatings. Rather, and preferably, one or more drops of cleaning solution particularly designed for cleaning multi-coated lenses or filters are placed on a disposable wad of soft lens cleaning tissue which in turn is placed either on the lens to be cleaned or on the resilient tip of the cleaning device which is then used to clean the lens. The cleaning tissue may then be disposed of, and the cleaning operation may be completed by the drying of the lens in a similar manner with a dry, disposable cleaning tissue.

[0020] In this manner, virtually any visual obstruction - ranging from the lightest dust particle to the heaviest smudge or smear - may be readily, conveniently, and safely removed, in the field.

IN THE DRAWINGS

[0021] 

Figure 1 is a top elevation of a cleaning device embodying the concepts of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top elevation of the same device with the protective end cap removed and the cleaning bristles partly deployed.

Figure 3 is the same elevation with the bristles deployed to their normal full length.

Figure 4 is the same elevation with the bristles deployed to their maximum possible extension.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the device 10 taken generally along the lines 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the device 10 taken generally along the lines 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the kit for carrying the cleaning device of the present invention and associated cleaners and tissues.

DESCRIPTION

[0022] Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals denote similar elements and more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown, by way of illustration, but not of limitation, a cleaning device 10 constructed according to the present invention comprising a resilient tip 11, a housing 12 supporting said resilient tip, a groove 13 in said housing, a moveable button 14 moveable in said groove, and end cap 15. Figure 2 depicts the same em­bodiment with end cap 15 removed and bristles 16 partially visible. Although in the embodiment shown, the bristles 16 and the resilient tip 11 are shown as being affixed to the same member, they need not be; cap 15, for example, could just as easily serve as a handle for brush 16 which could be enclosed in housing 12, for example. In the embodiment shown, button 14 communi­cates directly with the diaphragm 17 containing the bristles 16. The brush may be advanced in this embodi­ment by advancing the button 14 along groove 13. Other means of providing such advancement may be employed equally well, such as a rotating handle with screw threads. Whatever the means, as may be seen by comparing the bristles 16 in Figures 2, 3 and 4, no advancement or slight advancement will provide the stiffest brushing action, and continued advancement will provide a greater effective length of the bristles and, hence, more flex­ible brushing action. Figure 3 depicts the bristles extended to their maximum normal extension and the advancing button 14 locked into its normal maximum position.

[0023] Normally, the amount of force applied to the bristles during cleaning will be small enough, and the amount of resistance in the advancing mechanism will be large enough, that there will be no need to "lock" the bristles in place. For that reason, no intermediate locking positions are shown in this embodiment, al­though the same could be easily included were it desired so to do.

[0024] The free ends of bristles 16 are shown in Figures 2 and 3 in their normal and preferred state as forming a generally convex shape. This shape, or its many equivalents, has been found to provide the best cleaning action for recessed convex lenses and is thus preferred. Figures 5 and 6 show an enlarged cross section of the diaphragm 17, the tip end 18 of housing 12, the ball or convex shaped end 19 of the advancement mechanism, and, for clarity, a portion only of the attached ends of the bristles 16. Figure 5 depicts the same corresponding generally to the position shown in Figure 3 and taken along the lines 5-5 thereof, whereas Figure 6 depicts the same corresponding generally to the position shown in Figure 4 and taken along the lines 6-6 thereof. The attached ends of bristles 16 are embedded in the usual manner in a flexible diaphragm 17 which in its undistorted shape may be generally planar or convex. The periphery of the diaphragm is restrained from advancement beyond the desired extension by any convenient means, as by lip 18 of housing 12, and as the contacting end 19 of the advancement mechanism is further advanced, as from the position of Figure 3 to that of Figure 4, the shape of the diaphragm 17 is seen to reverse in this embodiment, from that of a concave shape to convex (when viewed from the outer or working end of the bristles 16). As the resilient diaphragm 17 tends to restore itself to its normal, undistorted position, it is preferable for the advancing mechanism to have either a locking mechanism or a locking position (Figure 4) to maintain the mechan­ism in place while the brushing action is performed.

[0025] In this manner, the end 19 of the advancement mechanism may be seen to cause the bristles 16 to flare outwardly at a considerable angle, thus easily doubling the diameter of the free or working end of bristles 16 and effectively increasing the size of the brush by a factor of four.

[0026] Figure 7 depicts a convenient kit for carrying the device of the present invention along with a container of cleaning fluid for multi-coated filters and lenses, a container for anti-fog solution, and a number of disposable, optically-safe cleaning tissues.

[0027] Thus it may be seen that a convenient and easily transportable kit has been provided for the rapid and safe cleaning, in the field, of recessed convex lenses, or for the safe and effective application of anti-fogging or other special-purpose solutions, as well as a novel and expandable brush for use therewith.

[0028] It will be apparent from the foregoing that many other variations and modifications may be made in the apparatus hereinbefore described by those having ex­perience in this technology without departing from the concept of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be clearly understood that the apparatus and methods depicted in the accompanying drawings and re­ ferred to in the foregoing description are illustrative only and are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for cleaning convex lenses, com­prising:
an elongated holder supporting tip means at one end thereof for transferring a cleaning force applied to said holder to said tip means and for distributing said force substantially uniformly over an outer surface of said lens;
a retractable brush for removing particulate matter from said convex lenses; and
means for advancing or retracting said brush from a protective holder therefor.

2. The cleaning device as defined in Claim 1, wherein said means for transferring and distributing said cleaning force comprises at least partially concave and resilient means for urging cleaning means against the entirety of a recessed, convex lens.

3. The cleaning device as defined in Claim 1, wherein the stiffness of said brush may be varied as the effective extension thereof is varied.

4. The cleaning device as defined in Claim 1, wherein the effective diameter of the tip portion of said brush may be varied without varying the effective extension thereof.

5. The cleaning device as defined in Claim 1, wherein the bristles of said brush are biased towards the periphery thereof.

6. The cleaning device as defined in Claim 5, wherein said bias is provided by a generally concave configuration of the free ends of said bristles.

7. An improved device for cleaning convex lenses in the field comprising:
an elongated holder supporting flexible, at least partially concave means for urging cleaning means against the entirety of a recessed, convex lens;
means for applying a pre-determined amount of solution to said cleaning means; and
means for removing dry particulate matter from the entirety of the surface of a recessed, convex lens with a minimum amount of brushing action.

8. The improved device as defined in claim 7, wherein said cleaning means comprises a substantially circular swatch of non-woven, cotton cloth.

9. A portable kit for cleaning convex lenses in the field, comprising:
an improved device comprising an elongated holder supporting flexible, at least partially concave means for urging cleaning means against the entirety of a recessed, convex lens;
disposable cleaning means;
means for containing and for dispensing fixed amounts of solution to said cleaning means;
means for removing dry particulate matter from the entirety of the surface of a recessed, convex lens with a minimum amount of brushing action;
means for expanding the effective working area of said particulate removing means; and rapid-opening means for transporting said improved cleaning device, said disposable cleaning means, said containing and
dispensing means, said removing means, and said expanding means.

Drawing